BILL NUMBER: AB 61	CHAPTERED  10/10/99

	CHAPTER   598
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   OCTOBER 10, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   OCTOBER 5, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 26, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   AUGUST 24, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 18, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JUNE 14, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Cardoza, Alquist, Briggs, Calderon,
Florez, Maldonado, and Strom-Martin
   (Coauthors:  Senators Costa, Johannessen, Leslie, Monteith, and
Poochigian)

                        DECEMBER 7, 1998

   An act to add Section 15365.11 to the Government Code, relating to
international trade, and making an appropriation therefor.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 61, Cardoza.  Rural Development Export Act of 1999.
   Existing law establishes the California Office of Export
Development within the California State World Trade Commission, and
sets forth the duties of the office in strengthening the state's
activities in marketing its agricultural, manufacturing, and service
industries overseas.
   Existing law also establishes the California Export Finance Office
within the California State World Trade Commission, and sets forth
the duties of the office in expanding employment and income
opportunities for Californians through increased exposure of
California goods, services, and agricultural commodities, by
providing actual and potential California exporters with information
and technical assistance on export opportunities and exporting
techniques, and financial assistance in support of export
transactions.
   This bill would enact the Rural Development Export Act of 1999.
It would require the California Office of Export Development to
develop a program to be known as the Rural Export Strategy, to
include specified outreach activities.  It would require that the
strategy be developed in collaboration with, and use available
resources of, relevant agencies, organizations, and businesses that
serve or are located within rural California, or both, and include a
cost-effective mechanism to educate the staff in California's
overseas trade offices about products and services available from the
state's rural communities.
   This bill would require the Rural Export Strategy to include
provisions describing how the California Export Finance Office can be
more accessible and more utilized by rural businesses.  It would
also require the strategy to be submitted to the California State
World Trade Commission.
   This bill would appropriate the sum of $50,000 from the General
Fund to the Office of Export Development for the purposes of the
bill.
   Appropriation:  yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rural
Development Export Act of 1999.
  SEC. 2.  (a) The Legislature finds that while the California Office
of Export Development has worked hard on assisting manufacturers and
service industries to market their products overseas, rural
communities have also benefited from the office's activities related
to nonagricultural products.
   (b) The Legislature further finds that California's rural
communities experience unemployment rates that often exceed those of
urban and suburban communities, and that enabling these rural
communities to more fully integrate into the global economy will lead
to higher employment in rural California.
   (c) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to
support rural communities in their development as full participants
in the global economy.
  SEC. 3.  Section 15365.11 is added to the Government Code, to read:

   15365.11.  (a) The California Office of Export Development shall
develop a rural manufacturing and service export program to be known
as the Rural Export Strategy.
   (b) Rural Export Strategy program outreach activities shall
include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:
   (1) Identifying and recruiting delegations of potential foreign
buyers of products manufactured or produced in rural areas.
   (2) Providing information and technical assistance to rural
businesses interested in exporting products and services.
   (3) Organizing and conducting trade missions for rural businesses
through the development of public-private partnerships with local
trade organizations.
   (4) Conducting market research.
   (5) Increasing awareness in rural communities of export services
offered by the International Trade and Investment Division of the
Trade and Commerce Agency.
   (c) The Rural Export Strategy shall provide a means by which
current programs and resources provided by or available through state
government can be made available to rural manufacturers and service
providers so that all regions in California are served.
   (d) The Rural Export Strategy shall be developed in collaboration
with relevant agencies, organizations, and businesses that serve or
are located within rural California, or both, including, but not
limited to, economic development councils, private industry councils,
rural conservation and development councils, local, state, and
federal agencies, Centers for International Trade Development, the
California Community Colleges Economic Development Program, and
chambers of commerce.  The strategy shall use the resources available
through these agencies, organizations, businesses, and others that
the office determines are appropriate to improve outreach and the
availability of state export development programs and resources.
   (e) The Rural Export Strategy shall include a cost-effective
mechanism to educate the staff in California's overseas trade offices
about products and services available from the state's rural
communities.
   (f) In addition to other state business and export development
resources, the Rural Export Strategy shall include provisions
describing how the California Export Finance Office can be more
accessible and more utilized by rural businesses.
   (g) The Rural Export Strategy shall be submitted to the California
State World Trade Commission for consideration and implementation,
where appropriate.
  SEC. 4.  The sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the California Office of Export
Development for the purposes of this act.
